Loader and magazine mechanism



1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 3, 1957 1965A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 i IE5; N l-z 1- 3 l 3% a 252s s o m o E 12 9 w E O a l 0 O O O O O O O Q 00 o o m o o .0 0 0 z D a a 8 N o a a Q E 5 E I ra i m l u z a a g o 5 ra 4m 0 2 o I I I I o \f-M ll 2 a s;- i D O O O i o o o m 1. .dilluug m 0D E w I! 2: [U o E [I m D O J: I k 1 1 3 U U 3 1: O O '1 I 5 4| 5 E '0 Il" 9 m n Q 0 o o o I H 5 0 g Q 1 23 a [on 1, I :1: EH Ill. n5 I jllllilllllllllllllllllIIIIUIHllIlHlIIIIIIIIFIUIIIHIIHI||IHIIIIHHHIIIIIIH|||l|H||||||IlllllfllllllIIHIIIIHHIIIHIII m cu u N INVENTORS E ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON Q/BWWATTORNEYS 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3, 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 3FORWARD Q mHIHIIHIHIIHIIIIIIIIHHIlllllllIllIIIHIH'IHIIHIIIIHIIIIIIHHIHHIIIIHIH'HiIHHlIHHHIHIVHHH INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON RICHARD E. TAYLORATTORNEYS FIG.3

Feb. 23, 1965 A, J STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 4IllllllHHlllIlIllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIHIHI lllllilll 5 FIG. 4

INVENTORS' ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON RICHARD E. TAYLORATTORNEY S Feb. 23, 19 65 A. J. STANTON ETAL. 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON RICH ARD E. TAYLORATTORNEY S FIG.5

1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON r 533 DAVID F.ANDERSON w :0 m E: RICHARD E. TAYLOR z E Q q m N 1 m j @/Z u I 4U x 2 Q75 M ATTORNEYS 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM 16 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed June 3. 1957 QIBTO REVERSE INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON RICHARD E.TAYLOR ATTORNEYS 4 llll/V Feb. 23, 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 V ll'INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON ATTORNEYS FIG. l3

Feb. 23, 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,1

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 9LOADER l'ZO INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON BY Q. 13 WWATTORNEY S Feb. 23, 1965 3,170,372

Filed June 3, 1957 INVENTORS \o ARTHUR .1. STANTON g \DAVIDF. ANDERSON Qm RICH? E. TAYLOR LL j 47 M ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 11MAGAZINE ROUND EXIT END 35\ INVENTORS ARTHUR J. STANTON DAViD F.ANDERSON RICHARD E. TAYLOR ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1965 J. STANTON ETAL3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 3. 1957 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 SISFIG. 20

POWER INPUT ROUND GUIDE INVENTORB' ARTHUR J. STANTON DAVID E ANDERSONRICHARD E. TAYLOR mws 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM 16 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed June 3. 1957INVENTORS A THUR J. STANTON DAVID F. ANDERSON RICHARD E. TAYLORATTORNEYJ Q/Zw vmm Em mom 0 It mmdE 1965 A. J. STANTON ETAL 3,170,372

LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Filed June 5, 1957' 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 3%E2 53 owl 32 na 23238 0mm Owumm um;

um om mohm .EEM

m 0w 1. I. 56. m w m v .95 R U H T R A ETm @Tm EmTm 655 xowzw 23m DAVIDF. ANDERSON RICHARD E. TAYLOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,170,372LOADER AND MAGAZINE MECHANISM Arthur J. Stanton, Bethesda, Md, David F.Anderson,

McLean, Va., and Richard E. Taylor, Hyattsville, Md,

assignors to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Navy Filed June 3, 1957, Ser. No. 663,323 14 Claims.(Cl. 89-33) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) Theinvention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for theGovernment of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The invention disclosed and claimed herein is a portion of the systemdisclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 663,3 l9,filed June 3, 1957, for Rapid Fire Gun System. a

The present invention relates to a loading and feeding mechanism for alaunching system which includes a low velocity, rapid fire gun and mounttherefor. More particularly, this invention is directed to a loading andfeeding mechanism for a weapon system suitable for a saturation zonetype of protective or assault fire and which is especially well adaptedfor shipboard antiaircraft use.

Heretofore, antiaircraft guns of both large and small calibers have beendevised for employment against high and low altitude attacking planes.Although the large caliber guns are effective at high altitudes whenproperly used, these guns are generally ineffective at low altitudes andshort ranges because, among other reasons, of their slow rate of fireand the more effective evasive action taken by aircraft at lowaltitudes. Consequently, guns generally in use against low flyingaircraft have been of a small caliber and in the machine gun class inorder to obtain a rapid rate of fire and cope with the evasive action ofaircraft attempting to avoid the Zone of fire. However, the use of armoraround the vital parts of aircraft has increased considerably and it hasbeen found that the smaller caliber guns make a number of hits withoutreaching a vital part, and, therefore, the attacking aircraft, in manycases, continue the attack.

With conventional guns, as the caliber increases, the weight of the manygun components as well as the gun itself increases greatly. Heavierstructural members are needed to load, stow and transfer ammunition. Therecoil forces generated require heavier mounting and driving stuctures.Consequently, aboardship the number of guns that can be installed islimited by the weight factor alone. Furthermore, the handling ofconventional large caliber case ammunition presents problems because ofits size and weight. Such ammunition is not adapted to belt or clip typefeeding as used in the machine gun class weapons. 1

The use of large, high velocity guns and mounts generally prohibits thestowage of case ammunition or maintenance of magazines on the same levelon which the gun is mounted because of space requirements. Thus, theammunition stowage and magazine is at a lower level, often employingthree or more decks of the ship to contain all the necessary equipment.Location below decks complicates the problem of loading and feedingammunition to large caliber guns and necessitates the installation ofelaborate ammunition hoists with associated large gains in overallweight and complexity of the ammunition handling equipment.

The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages of the priorart loading and feeding mechanisms in that it provides a rapid loadingand feeding device for an adjacent gun utilizing symmetrically casedrocket assisted projectiles of relatively large caliber. The entireloading and feeding mechanism is relatively small 3,170,372 PatentedFeb. 23, 1965 and compact as compared with those of the prior art forhandling a similar caliber and quantity of ammunition. None of the knownprior art ammunition handling equipment is capable of handling in anygiven time interval an equivalent quantity of large caliber ammunitionas that quantity handled by the present invention. This is true becauseof the type weapon employed and the arrangement of a novel largecapacity, high speed magazine adjacent each gun which permits a highrate of automatic continuous fire for extended periods of time. Theprojectile is enclosed in a substantially symmetrical container or casewhich functions both as an ammunition storage case and as an expendablegun chamber when the projectile is fired. Thus, ammunition handlingproblems are simplified.

The loader and magazine combination of this invention presents novelmeans whereby projectiles are fed to an adjacent weapon at machine gunrates of feed. The weapon fed by the present invention does not utilizeprojectile ramming and extracting operations as do conventional guns andhence a firing rate of the gun in the order of that usually associatedonly with the machine gun class of weapons is determined to a. greatextent by the ability of the magazine to feed ammunition at an extremelyhigh rate of feed.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide anautomatic projectile loading and feeding mechanism, with suitableinterlocking devices, which is capable of performing and controlling theserving, at a high cyclic rate, of relatively large caliber projectilesto a gun or other missile launching apparatus.

An additional object is to provide a weapon having a large capacitymagazine capable of maintaining a substantially balanced conditionduring loading of the magazine, stowage of ammunition within themagazine and feeding of rounds from the magazine, this beingaccomplished by a weight distribution of the rounds and displacementthereof from the filling end to an opposite end, thence to the fillingend, the rounds moving in a manner to diminish the end to end distanceto a centrally located round exit station.

Another object is to provide a relatively lightweight loader andmagazine capable of loading and stowing a large quantity of readyprojectiles or missiles of large caliber.

A further purpose of the present invention resides in the provision ofan independent, large capacity, fixed magazine or conveyor capable ofstowing and feeding rounds or other objects to a relatively movabletransfer mechanism at high rates of feed.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an automaticrapid feed magazine for stowing and feeding case-enclosed missiles to agun or other launching device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an automaticrapid-feed ammunition loader and magazine combination in which themagazine is provided with means at the round-entry station fortransferring ammunition from the loading mechanism to the magazine andvice versa without jamming of the ammunition.

Another object resides in the provision of a rapid-feed ammunitionloader and magazine combination in which the magazine is provided withmeans adjacent the roundexit station for actuating a mechanism in theloader to prevent additional ammunition from entering the magazine.

A further object is to provide a loader and magazine combination whereinthe loader sequentially feeds rounds to the magazine and eliminatesblank round spaces during the loading of the magazine.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of anammunition loader and magazine com- 3 bination wherein the projectileloader is capable of loading the magazine at a high cyclic rate withlarge caliber rocket-assisted projectiles.

Still another purpose of the invention is to provide an ammunitionloader andmagazine mechanism in which the loader guides ammunition ofthe case-enclosed, rocketpropelled type into the magazine.

Another object is to provide in an ammunition loader and magazinecombination a round loading and controlling mechanism which includesmeans for permitting or preventing the loading of ammunition inaccordance with predetermined conditions existing in the magazine.

Yet another object is to provide means located within the loader andmagazine for preventing feeding of rounds thereto when the magazine isfully loaded.

Still another objects resides in the provision of a large capacity,fixed magazine capable of stowing and feeding rounds to an adjacentrelatively movable transfer mechanism at high rates of feed.

Another object is to provide an ammunition loader and magazine devicehaving means for reversing the directional flow of projectiles in themagazine when it is desired to unload or reload the magazine in orderthat no blank round stations will occur during subsequent reloading.

Another object is to provide in a loader and magazine mechanism aninterlock system for controlling the reverse drive of the magazine, theinterlock system functioning to terminate the drive in such a positionas to align round carrying stations in the magazine with the loadingmechanism for subsequent reloading of the magazine.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view with portions broken away of a twin gun mountembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the mount of FIG. 1 taken along aline substantially corresponding to line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the gun mount of FIG. 1 takenalong a line substantially corresponding to line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front vertical elevational view of the gun mount of FIGS, 1,2 and 3 with a portion of the shield broken away to better illustratethe relative locations of certain mechanisms of the system;

FIG. 5 is a rear vertical elevational view of the gun mount withportions of the shield and stand removed;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of an upper portion of the magazineloader and the round receiving tray associated therewith;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the magazine loader of FIG.6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the loader as viewed from a linesubstantially corresponding to line S-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the loader trayillustrated with other portions of the loader in FIGS. 6 through 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a section of theloader tray with portions of the frame therefor broken away;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the switch actuating linkagefor the magazine drive switches S6 and S7 disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the right hand end of a portion ofthe loader and magazine showing a cam for controlling switch S413employed when cycling rounds in reverse order during unloading andreloading of the magazine;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of a round storage magazine and drivetherefor employed in the present invention, the magazine having beenremoved from the gun mount structure for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational schematic view of the magazine showing thepath of round travel from the loader to a centrally located transfermechanism which may be associated therewith;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged detailed composite view of the magazine showingstructural details thereof;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of a star wheel and drive mechanism thereforlocated at the round-exit station of the magazine;

FIG. 17 is a transverse sectional view of one of the magazine chainidler sprockets and bearing support therefor;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view taken from below and to one side or" theback side of the magazine center section of FIG. 13 showing the guiderails and round exit star wheels;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of one of the magazinechain sprocket drives;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of one of themagazine carrier chains;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the magazine carrierchains with the rounds shown in full and broken lines; 7

FIG. 22 is a detailed perspective view of one of the round end engagingretainers removed from the round carrier chain;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of one of the between round spacing lugsremoved from the round carrier chains;

FIGS. 24 and 25 are enlarged vertical detailed views of the juncturebetween the magazine round exit station and the round entry station ofan associated transfer mechanism showing the relative positions of thetwo sets of transfer feed star wheels at 0 gun elevation and gunelevation, respectively;

FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate the electrical circuitry employed by theloader and magazine of the present invention, and, as shown, illustratethe condition of the various circuits during loading and unloading ofrounds into and from the magazine; and

FIG. 27 illustrates the electrical circuitry employed by the presentinvention during the firing operation.

General mount description To facilitate an understanding of the presentinvention and the manner in which it may be employed with othercomponents of a weapon system, the entire system will be describedbriefly before proceeding to the detailed description of the loader andmagazine combination of the present invention. Referring first to FIGS.1 through 5, which are general arrangement views of an entire system inwhich the loader and magazine of the present invention may be employedin the manner illustrated, it will be observed that a twin weapon mount,generally designated by numeral 1%, is shown as mounted on a fixed stand101 such as those which are presently in use on naval vessels. The mountcomprises a plat-form carriage 102 which supports thereabove the gun andround handling mechanisms and carries therebeneath mount drive and powercomponents forming no part of the present invention. The carriage 102 isrotatably supported for movement in train on roller bearings (not shown)which engage a mating roller path (not shown) formed in a fixed trainingcircle gear 103. A carriage mounted drive pinion M4 is drivingly meshedwith the training circle 1493 for driving the mount in train. Additionalpower and associated equipment such as motors, firing cutouts, brakes,clutches and buffers are also carried beneath the carriage.

Located centrally atop the carriage is a pair of trunnion bearings 105which support therebetween, an elevatable cradle 1.06. An elevating arcis secured to the lefthand side of cradle 106, as viewed in FIG. 5, andis driven by a conventional elevating pinion (not shown) to move theentire cradle in elevation. An elevation stop buffer 131 and adepression stop buffer 132 are provided, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Thecentral portion of the cradle supports a pair of right and left-hand gunmechanisms 107 and 108, each gun mechanism having a rified barrel 169and 1119, both respectively, protruding from the front portion of thecradle. A twin case ejection system 111 is also carried by the cradleand is located between the gun mechanism. Secured to opposite sides ofthe cradle and elevatable therewith, are right and left hand roundtransfer mechanisms 112 and 113, respectively, the outer ends of whichare supported in bearings 114 carried by similar right and left-handpedestals 115 secured to the top of the carriage 1%. An elevationresponse are 116 is also secured to the outboard ends of each roundtransfer mechanism and is in contact with elevation response gearing 117connected to suitable firing cutouts during adjustment of gun elevation.In addition, the elevation response gearing repositions certain elementsin the transfer mechanism drive gearing to maintain alignment of feedstar wheels at the round entry of the transfer mechanism regardless ofangle of gun elevation. This is accomplished by means of suitabledifferential gearing (not shown). Right and left-hand round storagemagazines 118 and 119, respectively, are mounted outboard of the cradleon the carriage and overlie the major portion of the top surfaces ofeach round transfer mechanism. Right and left magazine loaders 12d and121, respectively, are mounted on the forward and lower front end ofeach magazine through which rounds may be fed to the magazine to loadendless round carrying chains, later described, moving through eachmagazine. Access doors 122 permit access to the loader during periods ofmagazine loading and unloading.

A shield 123 secured to the carriage, completely encloses the mountunits and forms a weather seal for the mount units and mount operator.The top central portion of the shield supports a control compartment 124which includes a transparent observation dome 125 extending above theshield. A gun port shield 126 mates with a circular path 127 formed inthe shield and may have inflatable waterproof sealing elements (notshown) for sealing the movable elements when in stowed condition.

A fiXed case ejection chute 123, formed in the central floor portion ofthe carriage, is curved to'conform with the sweeps of a pair of casedeflector assemblies 129 carried by the afore-mentioned case ejectionsystem 111 and delivers empty cases out of the front end of the mount.Suitable coolant lines 133 are employed to carry water to and from thegun cooling system.

Magazine Loader As hereinbefore noted, the round loader, which is oneportion of the combination of the instant invention, is mounted at theforward and lower end of each magazine. Briefly, its operation is asfollows: rounds are manually aligned on a horizontal, round receivingtray and are rolled over spring-biased pawls into the upper end of asubstantially vertical loading chute through which the rounds drop tothe lower end of the chute and are there picked up by a pair of starwheels and cooperating round engaging lugs carried by traveling magazinechains in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to FIGS. 7 through 12, the round loader 129 is thereillustrated as comprising a vertical chute Ztltl having an inlet orround-entry station at its upper end and delivering from its lower endor round-exit station to a magazine round entry station where themagazine chain and its associated round engaging lugs successively movethe rounds into the magazine. The chute includes relatively wide frontand rear walls 261 and 202, respectively, and narrower side walls 203.The rear wall is curved at 6 its upper end in a forward direction as at204 to form a round receiving opening.

A horizontal tray 205 is in substantially horizontal alignment with thelower edge of the round receiving opening of the chute and thus forms anopen extension of the chute front wall 201. In the embodimentillustrated, the tray is rectangular in shape and includes a pair ofL-shaped guide members 206. The circular end flanges of each round areguided between the outer side edges of tray 2115 and the upwardlyextending portion 2&7 of the guide members, the intermediate portion ofthe round rolling upon tray 205.

The tray 205 is cut away or otherwise formed with openings 2118intermediate its sides at a series of locations along the length of thetray and in which are mounted elongated, spring-biased, roundrestraining pawls 209. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,the pawls are of a length to engage only the reduced diameter portion211 of the round R, shown in phantom in FIG. 9, the circular end or baseflanges 213 of the round extending below the sides of the tray to beguided as mentioned hereinbefore. As illustrated, pawls 209 may beformed of flat stock, one edge portion being bent as at 214 to formbearings surrounding a fixed cross shaft 215. A coiled tension spring216 on the cross shaft urges the pawl individual thereto upwardly whilean edge of each cutout portion 217 of the tray functions as a stop toprevent upward motion of its respective pawl beyond a predeter minedheight and angle. The free edge of each pawl is turned and bent uponitself as at 218 to reinforce the round engaging edge. These pawlspermit round movement in the direction of chute 201) but prevent therounds from moving away from the chute. The forward end of the tray isturned upwardly as at 219 so as to restrain the last round placed on thetray.

The tray is pivotally supported by a hinge 221. Spaced legs 222 havingappropriately slotted brace members 223 are provided for positioning andmaintaining the tray in the loading position. Thus, the tray may belowered when not in use. as shown in FIG. 13.

Just inside the round entry end of the chute is an ammunition stop orloader gate comprising a pair of round engaging fingers 224 secured to across shaft 225. These fingers may be actuated and raised to a positionout of the path of oncoming rounds in response to energization ofsolenoid L5 (FIGS. 7, 8, l3 and 26B). Fingers 224 are connected tosolenoid L-5 via any suitable linkage such, for example, as that shownat 227. These fingers function to control entry of rounds into theloader chute. Round engaging guides 228 extending the length of thechute are provided on the rear and front walls and are spaced from theside walls 203 so that the round flanges 213 will be received betweenthe guides and the side walls to thereby guide each round during itsmovement through the chute. Additional relatively short guides 229 areplaced adjacent the round engaging fingers 224 to engage the centralportion of the round and assist in the initial alignment of the round asit enters the chute at which time its direction of travel changes fromthe horizontal to the.

vertical.

Mounted centrally and adjacent the bottom of the chute in a cutoutportion of the rear wall 202 is a pair of switch actuators, generallydesignated by numeral 231 and best shown in FIG. 11, each including avertically depending actuator bar 232. Each bar is pivotally supportedby link 2333 at its upper end and by a link 234 at its lower end,

each link in turn being pivotally secured to a central, fixed actuatesthe switches 5-6 and 8-7, a .Load Clear light, FIG. 26B will beilluminated, and a magazine drive switch S-5, FIG. 26B, may, at thistime, be manually closed to start the feed of the rounds from the loaderinto the magazine. Switches 5-6 and 8-7 are so interlocked electricallyas to stop the magazine should a lapse occur in the successive fillingof rounds in the chute 2049. This eliminates any blank round position orbubble in the magazine.

The lower forward section of the front wall 231 is hinged at 239 forminga door 241 for stripping rounds from the magazine in the event firinghas terminated with a partial load left in the magazine.

In this event, spring-biased door locks 242 are released, the magazinedrive is reversed and rounds will be passed through the opened door 241and over an inclined ramp 243 which is aligned with the door and endwalls of the loader.

In the event the magazine is to be reloaded from a partially filledstate, door 241 will remain locked and the reversely driven rounds willre-enter chute 2% where actuation of switches S6 and S7 will initiatestoppage of the magazine drive.

A compact, large capacity, magazine forms the other part of thecombination of the present invention. The magazine is in the generalshape of an inverted fU and one such magazine is provided for each gun.In the instant disclosure, the right magazine is illustrated in detail,the left magazine being similar except for a reversal of parts. Inbrief, as shown in FIG. 14, the passage of rounds into and from themagazine is as follows: when the rounds have passed through the loader,they are at the forward and lower end of the inverted U-shaped magazine.The rounds are then engaged by a pair of magazine feed star wheelsoperating in synchronisrn with round engaging lugs mounted on relativelyspaced rods extending between a pair of endless chains. When engaged bythe chain the path of the rounds is up the front leg of the U-shapedmagazine, across the top, down the back leg and, after making a seriesof such similar flights, the round emerges near the upper inner portionof the front leg. Suitable guide rails, both straight and curved, aredisposed as needed throughout the magazine for guiding engagement withthe rounds. The chains may be sprocket driven, and sufiicient idlers areprovided to maintain the requisite tension and conform the chain to thevarious channels formed by the guide rails. At the round entry end ofthe magazine, cam and switch means are provided to control the magazinein the final stages of reverse drive during unloading or refillingoperations of a partially filled magazine. The magazine round exit endcontains switch means for controlling the loader mounted round engagingfingers and also a pair of driven magazine exit star wheels cooperatingwith a series of additional driven star wheels on an associated roundtransfer mechanism, the latter being relatively movable with respect tothe magazine.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 7, 8, 11 and 12to 23 inclusive, there is shown portions of the inverted, U-shapedmagazine, generally designated by numeral 118 having an inclined forwardleg portion 361, an upper and rearwardly extending portion 302 and adownwardly extending, inclined rear leg portion 303. As is bestillustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and 14, at the front and lower end of theforward leg portion is located the loader 1229, described hereinbefore,which supplies rounds to a pair of magazine round entry end star Wheels364 secured to a cross shaft 335 which is journalled in bearing members306 in the lower right and left magazine side wall members 325. Asillustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the loader side walls 2% are outboard ofthe entry end star wheels 304-. Thus, the round ends are guided inlateral motion so that the rounds may be properly positioned on starwheels 3%4.

As shown by FIGS. 7, 8, and 14, the shaft 305 is vertically andrearwardly displaced from a chain sprocket shaft 367 on which aremounted a pair of chain idler sprockets 308 over which run a pair ofendless round carrying chains 309. Chain idler rollers 311 are freelycarried by shaft 305 and function to maintain the chains in engagementwith idler sprockets 3th} and assure the maintenance of the desiredconfiguration of the rapidly moving chains as they change direction fromthe horizontal to a nearly vertical direction of travel. Rollers 311also prevent whip or flexing of the chains. The idler sprockets 308 and310, mounted on shafts 307 and 312, respectively, are employed for theadditional purposes of establishing the desired travel path for therounds at desired locations within the magazine and for supporting thechains along the length of the travel path. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 12,the chain sprocket and star wheel shafts 307 and 305 have synchronizinggears 314 and 315, both respectively, mounted on one end of each shaft,the gears maintaining a fixed relationship between the drive arms of thestar wheels and the round engaging lugs carried by the chains.Additionally, an adjustable multilobed cam 316 is secured adjacent gear315 on shaft 365, the cam engaging a switch 8-13. This switch causes themagazine drive in reverse to stop with the star wheels 3% aligned in aposition to again receive rounds from chute 200. This function will beapparent from the circuitry shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B, describedhereinafter. Thus, the possibility of a round becoming jammed betweenstar wheels 304 and chute 200 is eliminated.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 21, it will be observed that on each of therods 313 are secured, inboard of the chains, a pair of cam shaped, roundengaging lugs 317. These lugs contact the reduced diameter portion ofeach round and are so spaced along the chain that a round is receivablebetween a pair of lugs on one cross rod and a pair of lugs on the nextsucceeding cross rod. Lugs 317 also function to reduce chain whip, thefingers 319 of the lugs 317 engaging the round guide rails, describedlater. Lateral motion of the round in a direction transverse to thechains is prevented by circular round engaging retainers 31%;, a pairbeing mounted on and secured to the end of each cross rod 313 adjacentthe inner edge of each chain 339.

In FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 13, the forward and rearward legs 3191 and 3&3,respectively, of the magazine are disclosed as including open frameworkportions and may, if desired, be fabricated from vertically andhorizontally extending angle bars 322 and 323, respectively. Referenceis now made to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 wherein the forward leg 3% isillustrated as being supported by a base 324 including a pair ofhorizontally extending channel shaped side walls 325 rigidly retained inparallel spaced lateral relationship by a series of cross members 326similar to those on the rear leg, FIG. 15. The medial portions of thebase side walls have a series of bearings 327 which support a pluralityof cross, chain idler sprocket shafts 3%)7, FIG. 14, each of which has apair of chain engaging sprockets 3% over which run the round carrierchains 389. Spaced inboard from the side walls 325, and extendingupwardly are a series of round engaging, vertically inclined, guiderails 331 by which the rounds are guided in their various movementsthrough the magazine. The upper ends of these guide rails are rigidlyconnected as at 332 to smooth, continuous, mating curved portions 333 ofhorizontally extending guide rails 334 located in the upper centralsection 3&2.

The upper forward, upper central and upper rear sections 346, 347, and348, respectively, FIG. 13, are made in substantially the same manner asthe aforementioned base 324 in that they respectively comprise a pair ofhorizontally extending generally similar side walls 335 with a series ofirregularly spaced bearings

1. A SUBSTANTIALLY SELF-BALANCING AMMUNITION MAGAZINE AND LOADERCOMBINATION FOR USE WITH A TRIANABLE RAPIDFIRE GUN ELEVATABLE ABOUT AGUN WITH A TRAINABLE RAPIDAN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE CARRIER FOR CARRYINGROUNDS OF AMMUNITION THROUGH THE MAGAZINE, SUPPORT MEANS IN ENGAGEMENTWITH SAID CARRIER FOR SUPPORTING MEANS IN ENGAGECARRIER THROUGHOUT THETRAVEL THEREOF AND TRIANABLE WITH THE GUN, MEANS FOR GUIDING THE ROUNDSAS THE LATTER ARE MOVED BY SAID CARRIER, DRIVE MEANS FOR SAID CARRIER, ALOADING STATION ADJACENT THE CARRIER AND AT ONE SIDE OF THE MAGAZINE FORINTRODUCING ROUNDS TO THE CARRIER, AN UNLOADING STATION ADJAENT THECARRIER, SAID UNLOADING STATION BEING CENTRALLY DISPOSED WITHIN THECONFINES OF THE MAGAZINE AND REMOTE FROM THE LOADING STATION FORRECEIVING ROUNDS FROM THE CARRIER, MEANS AT SAID UNLOADING STATION FORUNLOADING ROUNDS FROM THE MAGAZINE REGARDLESS OF ELEVATION OF THE GUN,SAID CARRIER MEANS BEING SUPPORTED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY BALANCEDCIRCUITOUS PATH OF TRAVEL FOR MOVING THE ROUNDS FROM THE LOADING STATIONTO THE UNLOADING STATION SO AS TO FILL THE MAGAZINE SUCCESSIVELY ANDSUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A VERTICAL PLANE INCLUDINGTHE GUN TRUNNION AXIS TO THEREBY MAINTAIN A CLOSE WEIGHT BALANCE OF THEMAGAZINE DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING OPERATIONS, SAID LOADING STATIONINCLUDING A HOUSING TRAINABLE WITH THE GUN AND ALIGNED WITH SAIDCARRIER, A PLURALITY OF ROUND GUIDING WALLS OF SAID HOUSING DEFINING AVERTICAL CHUTE, HORIZONTAL INLET AND OUTLET STATIONS RESPECTIVELYLOCATED AT THE TOP